Rich Encounters

Burnout

Quit the Suffering Contest

Gary R Simonds MD MS FAANS on November 6, 2024

Personal Perspective: Routinely engaging in suffering contests with our co-workers rewards a potentially harmful focus on our stressors rather than uplifts.

Personal Perspective: Routinely engaging in suffering contests with our co-workers rewards a potentially harmful focus on our stressors rather than uplifts.

Burnout

How to Survive a Malpractice Lawsuit With Your Soul Intact

Gary R Simonds MD MS FAANS on August 21, 2024

Malpractice litigation can be emotionally devastating to a healthcare practitioner. But there are ways of preventing this.

Malpractice litigation can be emotionally devastating to a healthcare practitioner. But there are ways of preventing this.

Attention

The Trouble With Men

Gary R Simonds MD MS FAANS on August 11, 2024

Personal Perspective: The widening gap between female and male achievement risks a regressive male response if unaddressed.

Personal Perspective: The widening gap between female and male achievement risks a regressive male response if unaddressed.

Sport and Competition

The Destructive Nature of Scholastic Sports

Gary R Simonds MD MS FAANS on July 26, 2024

Personal Perspective: American youth sports is a runaway train with no well-researched, well-developed goals or plans for maximizing the benefit to participants.

Personal Perspective: American youth sports is a runaway train with no well-researched, well-developed goals or plans for maximizing the benefit to participants.

Aging

Retirement: Open to the Good Stuff

Gary R Simonds MD MS FAANS on July 4, 2024

A Personal Perspective: Many find retirement a brave new world of emotional and intellectual expansion, gratitude, release from stress, connection, exploration, and growth.

A Personal Perspective: Many find retirement a brave new world of emotional and intellectual expansion, gratitude, release from stress, connection, exploration, and growth.

Education

My Genius for Irreverence

Gary R Simonds MD MS FAANS on June 18, 2024

A Personal Perspective: I am a relentless teaser, but perhaps my irreverence has taught me some lessons in critical thinking.

A Personal Perspective: I am a relentless teaser, but perhaps my irreverence has taught me some lessons in critical thinking.

Aging

Retirement Blues

Gary R Simonds MD MS FAANS on April 26, 2024

A Personal Perspective: Focusing on wellness during our career years can help counter the trepidation and emotional turmoil felt by many at the time of their retirement.

A Personal Perspective: Focusing on wellness during our career years can help counter the trepidation and emotional turmoil felt by many at the time of their retirement.

Career

The Impact of Retirement on Families

Gary R Simonds MD MS FAANS on April 3, 2024

A Personal Perspective: Focusing on wellness behaviors throughout our working lives may lessen the emotional challenges of retirement.

A Personal Perspective: Focusing on wellness behaviors throughout our working lives may lessen the emotional challenges of retirement.

Career

A Surgeon Puts Down the Scalpel

Gary R Simonds MD MS FAANS on March 25, 2024

Personal Perspective: The joy of retirement can be challenged by many unanticipated stressors. Building resilience in midlife better prepares us for this period of transition.

Personal Perspective: The joy of retirement can be challenged by many unanticipated stressors. Building resilience in midlife better prepares us for this period of transition.

Motivation

The Neuroscience of Pulling Oneself Up by the Bootstraps

Gary R Simonds MD MS FAANS on February 25, 2024

A Personal Perspective: Why do we insist on holding people accountable for traits they have not chosen?

A Personal Perspective: Why do we insist on holding people accountable for traits they have not chosen?

Artificial Intelligence

Will Artificial Intelligence Be Sociopathic?

Gary R Simonds MD MS FAANS on January 15, 2024

A Personal Perspective: Social evolution is behind our sense of responsibility toward our neighbors. Where will it come from in our supercomputers?

A Personal Perspective: Social evolution is behind our sense of responsibility toward our neighbors. Where will it come from in our supercomputers?

Artificial Intelligence

Alexa, I'm Not Feeling Well

Gary R Simonds MD MS FAANS on January 5, 2024

Personal Perspective: What role will there be for humans in healthcare once artificial intelligence is able to routinely outperform medical professionals?

Personal Perspective: What role will there be for humans in healthcare once artificial intelligence is able to routinely outperform medical professionals?

Self-Talk

Is Your Inner Voice a Voice?

Gary R Simonds MD MS FAANS on December 19, 2023

Personal Perspective: Do you have an inner voice? Do you realize your spouse or your best friend may not? What are the implications of this?

Personal Perspective: Do you have an inner voice? Do you realize your spouse or your best friend may not? What are the implications of this?

Parenting

7 Ways to Burn Out Your Kids

Gary R Simonds MD MS FAANS on November 2, 2023

Personal Perspective: We have thrust kids into a universe where they are expected to hyper-achieve in every component of their lives.

Personal Perspective: We have thrust kids into a universe where they are expected to hyper-achieve in every component of their lives.

Leadership

Good Leaders Don't Tell Themselves Stories

Gary R Simonds MD MS FAANS on October 17, 2023

Personal Perspective: As leaders, we all too often tell ourselves the wrong stories about the actions of our teams.

Personal Perspective: As leaders, we all too often tell ourselves the wrong stories about the actions of our teams.

Career

An Imbalanced Balance

Gary R Simonds MD MS FAANS on September 28, 2023

Too many of us gauge our balance in life by our time spent in its various components. Here's a different way.

Too many of us gauge our balance in life by our time spent in its various components. Here's a different way.

Burnout

A Lesson on Burnout From My Son

Gary R Simonds MD MS FAANS on September 5, 2023

A Personal Perspective: A heart-rending interaction with my son taught me a life lesson on the importance of mindful engagement.

A Personal Perspective: A heart-rending interaction with my son taught me a life lesson on the importance of mindful engagement.

Leadership

We Use "Specialized” Language Too Much

Gary R Simonds MD MS FAANS on August 28, 2023

Personal Perspective: For best results when addressing a single counterpart or a vast audience, practice using simple, plain, non-specialty-specific language.

Personal Perspective: For best results when addressing a single counterpart or a vast audience, practice using simple, plain, non-specialty-specific language.

Empathy

"But He Was Drunk": Judging Our Patients

Gary R Simonds MD MS FAANS on August 8, 2023

A Personal Perspective: We in health care often make judgments about our patients, their behaviors, their worthiness. We are not alone. We all could use some work on our empathy.

A Personal Perspective: We in health care often make judgments about our patients, their behaviors, their worthiness. We are not alone. We all could use some work on our empathy.

Burnout

The Inherent Challenge of Caring for the Elderly

Gary R Simonds MD MS FAANS on August 1, 2023

A Personal Perspective: Studying the life of one specific patient helped me understand strategies for minimizing burnout and bolstering resilience in the care of the elderly.

A Personal Perspective: Studying the life of one specific patient helped me understand strategies for minimizing burnout and bolstering resilience in the care of the elderly.